Chapter 10 - The Queen Beneath the FrostThree days passed.

Frostmir buried its dead.

The enemy army had surrendered.

The Crowned Fang disappeared.

The First King vanished beneath the mountain.

The dragons remained silent.

Without Alona, the palace felt empty.

Darius refused to leave the courtyard.

Every night, he sat beneath the shattered balcony.

The three baby dragons slept beside him.

They would not eat.

They would not fly.

Lena watched them with hollow eyes.

“My daughter promised she would return.”

Silas didn't answer.

Ronan stood at the edge of the courtyard.

For three days he had not worn his crown.

On the fourth morning, the sky changed.

Snow stopped falling.

Every bell in Frostmir rang once.

The black dragon lifted its head.

The golden dragon opened its eyes.

The silver dragon vanished into a beam of light.

Darius stood.

“What is happening?”

Silas ran outside.

He looked toward the mountain.

“She's back.”

Darius stopped breathing.

A crack appeared across the frozen lake.

Then another.

White light rose from beneath the ice.

A hand emerged.

Alona pulled herself upward.

She was barefoot.

Her dress was torn.

Her hair was longer.

And her eyes…

were no longer entirely human.

One eye glowed blue.

The other silver.

She climbed out of the ice.

The three dragons sprinted toward her.

She dropped to her knees.

All three leaped into her arms.

“I told you I'd come back.”

The golden dragon chirped.

The black one cried.

The silver one pressed its forehead against hers.

Darius approached slowly.

“You scared me.”

Alona smiled.

“I know.”

“What happened down there?”

She looked at the mountain.

“I met the First Dragon Mother.”

Silas stepped closer.

“What did she say?”

Alona's expression became serious.

“She told me the truth.”

“What truth?”

“That dragons aren't born from kingdoms.”

She looked at the palace.

“Kingdoms are born from dragons.”

Silas stared.

“And the First King?”

“Gone.”

“Dead?”

“No.”

Darius frowned.

“Then where is he?”

Alona looked toward the northern horizon.

“Waiting.”

Nobody spoke.

Lena stepped forward.

“Who is the king now?”

Alona looked at Ronan.

Ronan immediately removed the royal crown.

He walked toward her.

Then he knelt.

“I abdicate.”

The entire court gasped.

Darius looked stunned.

Ronan placed the crown at Alona's feet.

“You were born to inherit this.”

Alona shook her head.

“I don't want a throne.”

“Then what do you want?”

She looked at the dragons.

“I want a kingdom where they aren't chained.”

Ronan lowered his head.

“Then build it.”

Alona picked up the crown.

But instead of placing it on her head…

she broke it.

The crown shattered.

The nobles screamed.

Silas smiled.

She looked at the broken pieces.

“No more royal blood.”

She turned toward the crowd.

“No more Alpha choosing who is worthy.”

Her eyes swept over the kingdom.

“No more Omega being told she is born beneath anyone.”

Silence.

Darius smiled.

Then the dragons roared.

Every dragon in Frostmir took flight.

Their shadows covered the kingdom.

Alona looked upward.

For one perfect moment, Frostmir was free.

Then the silver dragon suddenly froze.

It stared toward the northern mountains.

Its violet eyes widened.

Alona followed its gaze.

“What is it?”

The dragon made a sound she had never heard before.

Fear.

Not for itself.

For her.

Alona walked toward the edge of the courtyard.

A distant shape appeared in the clouds.

A dragon.

But not one of Frostmir's.

It was enormous.

Its scales were white as bone.

Its wings stretched farther than the horizon.

And riding on its back…

was a man.

Darius drew his sword.

“Who is that?”

The stranger stopped above the mountain.

Then he jumped.

He landed in the snow.

He was young.

Beautiful.

Terrifyingly calm.

A silver crown rested on his head.

He looked directly at Alona.

Then at the three dragons.

He smiled.

“So.”

He slowly removed one black glove.

“The Dragon Mother survived.”

Alona's blood turned cold.

“Who are you?”

The stranger bowed.

“Cassian Vale.”

Lucien's brother.

The man stepped closer.

“And unlike my brother…”

His eyes glowed crimson.

“…I did not come to capture you.”

He smiled.

“I came to claim you.”

Darius moved forward.

Alona stopped him.

Cassian laughed softly.

“You don't understand.”

He pointed at the sky.

The white dragon above him opened its enormous wings.

Behind it appeared hundreds more.

All white.

All ancient.

All moving toward Frostmir.

Cassian looked at Alona.

“The war your mother hid you from…”

He smiled.

“…has finally begun.”

Alona held the three dragons closer.

The golden dragon growled.

The black dragon roared.

The silver dragon spread its wings.

And somewhere beneath the northern mountains…

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the First King opened his eyes.

To be continued.